Thursday, April 12, 2018

“Alyssa” by Jumanji – A Song Review

An episodic wave is visible on the horizon of the Indie Ocean and, like hurricanes, it has been given a human name. It is “Alyssa” by Jumanji.

“Alyssa” holds a sophistication that is too often missing from songs with an immediate appeal. The single is more than its catchy melody and guitar hooks, although that would be enough to attract attention to Jumanji. The lyrics are intelligent, and the vocals deliver emotion to the message by applying well-conceived and well-executed voice punctuations. Lead singer Nenah Atkins described the television-based motivation for “Alyssa:”

“We were inspired by the UK series 'End of the F***ing World'. We felt it was a really good series and we were compelled to write something about the story.”

A favorite feature of “Allyssa” – an instrumental bridge delivers the listener to the three-minute mark, when the lead vocals are sharp and deliberate while the backing vocals are melodically soothing.

There is a camp of knowledgeable audiophiles who prefer 3-member bands, since the sound isn’t cluttered and enables appreciation of the individual contributions. Indie Obsessive visited that camp, but quietly escaped after a short stay. When six skilled band members combine to generate a properly mixed single, the track has a richness and power that cannot be matched by a group half that size. Jumanji brings six skilled musicians to the table.